Notes: This Kartakan cult believes their revered ancestors not only watch over their descendants, but can intervene on their behalf as well. Offering proper respect to one’s ancestors earns one divine favor in life and secures a place in the Ancestral Choir after death. All cult members must have clear singing voices and are expected to sing praising songs called “mora,” dedicated to their ancestors, once a week.

Notes: The Amber Wastes hold these ancient gods in fear and awe. Three of their many gods are of significance: Ra, Osiris, and Set. Ra is both king and father of the gods, and represents the sun. Mortal rulers can only do so with Ra’s blessing. Osiris, once killed by his own brother and then resurrected by Ra, rules the world of the afterlife. He also controls the springs of the desert. Set is the sinister deity who slew his brother Osiris, yet managed to endure the wrath of the other gods. He is the deity of deceit and destruction, and his minions include crocodiles, poisonous snakes, jackals, and scorpions. For more deities of the Egyptian Pantheon, consult Deities & Demigods.

Notes: In Tepest and Nidala, Belenus is worshipped exclusively over other gods of the pantheon, while in Forlorn all the gods are worshipped. Tepest and Nidala are known to be intolerant; Tepestanis are intolerant of everything they deem to be “fey,” including elves, half-elves, calibans, and even sorcerors, and execute them in holy inquisitions; Nidalans view Belenus as their “one true god,” and persecute all other religions. The Forfarians hold both Belenus and Daghda as important, and are served by druids. Forfarians believe that after death the souls of the good and just pass westward to the Isles of the Blessed, while wicked souls descend through the Maw of Arawn into the bleak islands of Annwn.

Notes: (This religion was imported from the Forgotten Realms® setting, though the god has been somewhat “watered down” in Ravenloft.) Bane has many titles, including the Lawgiver, the Iron Tyrant, and the Black Lord. His religion rewards blind obedience and asserts the divine providence of kings. Rigid social stratification is enforced and the Church forbids inter-ethnic and inter-racial marriages. Clerics must perform all holy rites in Vaasi. The Church of Bane is the state religion of Hazlan and Nova Vaasa.

Alignments: Lawful Neutral, though a Lawful Good sect exists in Mordent, a Lawful Evil sect exists in Darkon, and a True Neutral sect exists in Dementlieu

Cleric Domains: Mists, Curse, Destruction, Healing, Law, Protection [Note: An Anchorite must have Mists + one of the other domains.]

Symbol: A silver longsword superimposed on an alabaster kite shield and adorned with a sprig of belladonna

Favored Weapon: Longsword

Notes: This religion formed over ninety years ago when Yakov Dilisnya claimed that a divine entity called Ezra, Our Guardian in the Mists, had given him a message to spread to the world that she was once a virtuous mortal woman who surrendered her mortality to the Mists to become a guardian of mankind. Clerics of Ezra are called anchorites, and each sect has different goals for their anchorites to achieve. The original Lawful Neutral sect of Borca, called the Home Faith, charges its anchorites with protecting and healing the faithful. The Lawful Good sect of Mordent adds that their anchorites must convert as many souls as possible to the Church for their own good. The True Neutral sect of Dementlieu believes that Ezra was a goddess who abandoned her shallow bretheren to aid mortals, and their anchorites spend their days contemplating the true nature of their goddess. The Lawful Evil sect of Darkon prophesies a coming apocalyptic event they call the Time of Unparalleled Darkness, and they claim that those who do not accept Ezra into their hearts will be consumed by the darkness of the Armageddon to come.

Notes: (This religion is also imported from the Forgotten Realms® setting, in the form of the deity Lathander Morninglord. The name “Lathander” is not used here, and there are some subtle differences in the belief system as well). The Cult of the Morninglord was founded around 475 BC by the outlander Martyn Pelkar, who claimed that the Morninglord appeared to him in physical form and saved him from a pack of vampires. Based on this encounter, the Cult depicts the Morninglord as a luminous sylvan humanoid, similar to an elf. Although his body is formed of soft, glowing light, his face is smeared with blood, which the cult says is a sign that even the greatest good may hold some evil stain and even the most depraved evil may contain a spark of goodness. They believe that no matter how dark the night, the dawn will come and that the Morninglord will one day return to lead the world into daylight. Presumably, when this happens the Morninglord's mouth would be wiped clean; clerics often use the phrase, "Thy lips be cleansed" in hopes of this day. The Morninglord asks little of his followers, save that they treat each other with kindness and retain hope in their hearts. This has given the Cult great appeal to the downtrodden of Barovia, particularly among the Gundarakites. The cult may be more than just an optimistic message. One of its founders was a hunter of the undead, and it is possible that secret teaching have been passed down to clerics to battle vampires and their ilk.

Notes: This is the dominant religion of Paridon. All members of the clergy are referred to as "celebrants of humanity." Most clergy members are monks, while a few become clerics. Monks focus on releasing untapped potential, while clerics focus on releasing the spiritual power flowing from all humans. Clerics of the Divinity of Mankind are asthetics, and believe that deities are purely mythical fabrications of humans who are unprepared to accept their ascendancy. As can be guessed, only humans are allowed into the clergy. Nonhumans are seen as lesser beings.

Notes: Some 60 or so years ago, Azalin Rex codified Darkonese folklore into a state religion. This folklore states that Darkon was originally inhabited by the dead, but the living stole the land from them and banished the dead into the Gray Realm. It is prophesied that one day the dead will return to reclaim their land and enact their revenge upon the living. This event is called the Hour of Ascension. Several events over the past few decades have been claimed by the Eternal Order to be the Hour of Ascension, including the Great Upheaval and the Requiem. In the aftermath of the Requiem, in which a wave of negative energy destroyed the Darkonese capital city of Il Aluk, transforming it into a city of undead now called Necropolis, the church officials of the Eternal Order blamed the events on the lack of faith of the Darkonese people—which only caused the people to abandon this religion en masse. While the Eternal Order may be failing as an organized religion, its underlying superstitions remain quite strong amongst the populace of Darkon. The clerics of the Eternal Order worship a variety of death gods liberally borrowed from other religions. The religion revolves around various rituals aimed at pleasing the dead and delaying the Hour of Ascension.

Notes: This small religion was founded in Matira Bay around 100 years ago. It stresses community and the hope that divine justice for all is possible in a world that often seems unfair. The religion is centered in the Darkonese city of Matira Bay and is led by High Priest Derakoth. They believe that the Overseer does not grant boons, but is witness to all the actions of one’s life and therefore rights any past wrongs in the afterlife. Mortals are expected to offer aid to others whenever possible, and likewise accept aid when it is given. The faith of the Overseer forbids idolatry, so there are no images of the Overseer in any temples or religious texts.

Symbol: A ring formed by thirteen serpents, each devouring the tail of the one before it.

Favored Weapon: Dagger

Notes: The holy text of the faith of Hala, Tales of the Ages, states that the world was created from the mists of Chaos by nine gods who then withdrew to allow mortals to find their own way. The mortals, however lacked wisdom, and thus filled the world with pain and anguish. Hala, one of the nine gods who created the world, returned to ease the suffering of mortals. She gathered 13 men and 13 women and taught them the secrets of the Weave, from which all magic stems. The magic of the Weave, also known as witchcraft, has unfortunately been branded by superstition and fear, mainly due to actions of hags, the most notorious practitioners of witchcraft. The mystical Church of Hala is highly secretive because of this, though its witch-clerics operate a number of hospices throughout the Core, offering rest and healing to all to come to them in need.

Notes: Sri Rajians worship a wide variety of deities with such complex relationships that it is often difficult for outsiders to understand their religion. One of the most basic tenets of the Rajian belief structure is reincarnation. They believe that the mortal world is one of pain and suffering to be endured by countless births, deaths, and rebirths until one’s permanent soul has achieved perfection and can escape to eternal paradise. The two most significant gods of the pantheon are Kali and Tvashtri. Kali, the Black Mother, is goddess of both destruction and creation. She revels in the destruction she causes, yet creates life from death. Her cult, the Dark Sisters, offer up a human sacrifice to her on a daily basis, the ritual overseen by their leader, Arijani. Tvashtri, the god of industry and invention, has both a city and a university named after him. His namesake university may be the greatest center of learning in the Land of Mists, and also the most remote.

Symbol: A sickle crossed with a hog-slaughtering knife, both stained with blood and overlaying an orb of night sky, glittering with stars. Alternatively, a skull and scythe.

Favored Weapon: Battleaxe

Notes: This Gundarakite death god was both sanctioned and encouraged by Duke Gundar when he ruled the lands that were once Gundarak. He is believed to be a very ancient deity, perhaps a corruption of Irlek-Khan, the demonic entity worshipped by the Neureni hordes who once conquered Barovia eons ago. He is portrayed as a trickster who created death as a deception, and delegated his duties to a host of demons. His neglect of his duties allows the dead to escape, thus creating the undead. Outlanders claiming to be from a world called “Oerth” paint a very different picture of the god: they claim on their world, Nerull is a widely known and widely feared deity who finds all living things an affront to his being, and his worshippers murder and slay as many as possible to appease the fearsome reaper. Worship of Nerull (mispronounced as “Erlin” by Barovians, due to their erroneus belief that he is the same as the ancient Neureni demon Irlek-Khan) nearly disappeared when Strahd von Zarovich annexed Gundarak in the aftermath of the Great Upheaval, but has recently been cast by the Gundarakite rebels as just one more element of Gundarakite culture being systematically crushed by Barovian oppression. Nerull might have only served as a political symbol if not for the rebel Emanuel Maryszkas who, in 754 BC called upon the power of Nerull to save him from the Barovian militiamen giving him chase. His calls were answered when waves of unholy fear swept over his pursuers. Emanuel is now the leader of the cult of Nerull in Barovia, and is seeking an alliance with the greater Gundarakite rebellion movement.

Favored Weapon: None. Those who cannot attack with tooth and claw are prey.

Notes: The Wolf God is almost exclusively worshipped by werewolves, and the few non-werewolves who worship it are clearly insane, only werewolves can become divine spellcasters of The Wolf God. The Wolf God represents everything the humans of Verbrek fear in nature, and while they do not worship him, they respect his power and that of his children, and often make efforts to appease the ravenous bestial god and his lycanthrope children. The Wolf God’s werewolf followers, those who truly worship him, believe that wolves are divine creatures and that all other predatory animals—especially humans—are abominations that must be destroyed.

Symbol: A silver circle split by a vertical diamond, representing both the phases of the moon and a cat’s eye.

Favored Weapon: Sickle

Notes: The Valachani people state that their land was originally inhabited by a race of dark-skinned humans who lived at one with nature, and were guided by a green sylvan deity called Yutow. Their peaceful days ended when the tan-skinned Vaasi people invaded and brought “civilization” with them. Yutow, being a nature god, was powerless to help his people until the panther, the wisest of all animals, suggested that Yutow merge the two people into one. Yutow accomplished this, creating the Valachani of today, but in doing so caused his own life to end. The Valachani state that Yutow is indisputably dead, yet still conscious and guiding his people from the moon. The Dead God’s servants are panther spirits and those who bear their blood. The religion is monotheisitic, and other religions are called false by Yutow’s worshippers. The religion states that followers of Yutow must not question his motives or mandates; they must uncomplainingly undergo trials in their lives to prove themselves worthy to him. Those who do so are granted immortality as a nature spirit, while those who fail are reincarnated to suffer again until they learn their lessons. Followers of Yutow believe that in worshipping him they are protected from the fury of nature, while unbelievers will have to face nature’s wrath. Unnatural things such as undead or arcane magic are considered the worst form of blasphemy.

Notes: The beast-god Zhakata is the state religion of the famine-stricken nation of G’henna. G’hennans state that Zhakata has dual aspects: that of Devourer, and that of Provider. Unfortunately, they have only experienced his Devourer aspect. As the Devourer, Zhakata is not worshipped, he is appeased. His endless hunger demands constant sacrifice, whether it be food or humans. All crops must be donated to the Temple, where the priests deduct Zhakata’s share and then dole out the rest to the starving population. Buying and selling food is a religious offense, and obesity is the ultimate act of blasphemy. G’hennans believe that their painful sacrifices will one day finally appease Zhakata. On that day he is supposed to appear in physical form and change into Zhakata the Provider and give generous amounts of food to his worshippers. For generations the people of G’henna have starved themselves in the feeble hope that this day will come. G’henna is a theocracy. Clerics of Zhakata are the law, and they eat well, taking their portions of food before handing it back to the peasants. All clerics must defer to G’henna’s lord and master, the high priest Yagno Petrovna.

Notes: Not all faiths honor the gods directly. In many cultures, spirits of the natural world and messengers of the gods are far more involved in mortal affairs than are the gods themselves. Why pray to a deity who does not hear, when you can direct your petition to the entity that god placed as lord over luck, or death, or rain, or wealth? This, then, is the Voodan, who worship neither gods nor nature itself, but rather spiritual entities who fall somewhere in between. These spirits, or "loa," number in the thousands, representing all manner of natural forces, locations, or concepts. Many communities even worship their deceased ancestors as loa. The loas listed above are the greatest and most well-known of the Souragnian faith.

When the Mists deposit an outlander cleric within Ravenloft, such clerics immediately feel an emptiness and separation from their deity. While they continue to receive blessings, boons, and spells, they no longer feel their gods at their sides. This absence can cause Outlander clerics to go through periods of depression and crises of faith. Without the gods’ ever-watchful eyes to oversee their worship, imported religions often experience a “theological shift,” often ending up different in several key ways from the original religion.

Clerics of Athas (the world of the Dark Sun setting) worship no gods, as Athas has no gods. Instead, they devote themselves to one particular element and the preservation of that element in the natural world. A cleric of a particular element must take Air, Earth, Fire, or Water as one of his domains and can choose any nonelemental domain as his other domain (excluding the Ravenloft-specific domains, and adhering to alignment restricted domains rules).

Element

Domains

Air

Air

Earth

Earth

Fire

Fire

Magma

Earth, Fire

Rain

Air, Water

Silt

Earth, Water

Sun

Air, Fire

Water

Water

Athasian Sorcerer-Kings

Specialized clerics of Athas known as "Templars" worship the various Sorcerer-Kings of their city-states for spells. Upon entering Ravenloft, the Dark Powers act as surrogates to this power, as the Demiplane of Dread is beyond the reach of Athas' Sorcerer-Kings.